"Wonder Boys" remains at the top of my list for several reasons.
1.) James Leer (Tobey Maguire) is my favorite movie character of all time.
2.) Michael Douglas delivers the best performance of his career, wearing everything
on his pink robe's sleeve.
3.) The script is very witty and clever, but it doesn't neglect drama in favor of heavy
laughs. There is profound meaning underneath the dark humor.
4.) When Grady (Douglas) cheers for James to take a bow, James takes a dramatic one.
The crowd cheers. The camera shows us a close up of Grady's face when he says "Wonder boy." It's my
favorite moment in any and all movies. It just blows me away.
5.) It actually is better than the book upon which it was based. Rarely does a
film outdo its source material, but the film managed to be sweet and endearing where the book was bitter and adolescent.
6.) Every single time I see it, I love it. I have seen it probably about nine times.
It hasn't gotten old at all.
I get some flack for my love of this film, but I will stand by it.
It is something truely important and special. Emotions are evoked and it feels good. I felt good seeing a
movie. Sure there's a lot more that one could ask for, but I'll take it.